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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. kid — to tease
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. suit — to fit
  5. sharp — clever
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. suit — clothes
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. bass — the fish
  11. mug — a face
  12. suit — in cards
  13. bass — low music
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. mug — to rob
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. kid — child
  19. mug — a cup
  20. cold — not warm
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. lie — to recline
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. cold — the Cold War

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com